Operations Manager

We are looking for an experienced and emotionally intelligent Operations Manager who is motivated by both operational excellence and meaningful social impact. You will be joining Children 1st Mediation who delivers high-quality Family Mediation Services across England and Wales.

This role would suit someone who enjoys ensuring efficient systems, strong teams and clear accountability, while working within a purpose-driven organisation that helps families resolve conflict and move forward positively.

You will take ownership of the end-to-end client journey, lead operational performance, and embed a new Case Management System (CMS) to ensure consistent, celebrity level service delivery to our Clients. Working closely with the Managing Director, you will play a key role in strengthening operational structure, improving client experience, and enabling the wider team to focus on delivering outstanding mediation services.

Role Purpose

The Operations Manager is responsible for the smooth, high-quality operational delivery of the Client Services Team, ensuring strong commercial performance and high levels of client satisfaction. The role oversees the effective management of the end-to-end client journey. This position ensures that operational processes work effectively in practice, with systems, people and performance standards aligned to support efficient service delivery, including the management of client payments from multiple sources within the financial pipeline The role also supports the organisation’s commercial viability by ensuring operational efficiency, accurate financial processes and consistent service delivery.

 Key Responsibilities

• Leadership of the CST Manager
• End-to-End Service Ownership
• CMS Oversight & Flow Management
• KPI Development & Monitoring
• Quality Assurance & Compliance
• Continuous Improvement
• Commercial viability
• Ensure all income streams are correctly recorded, processed, and reconciled in line with internal procedures.
• Monitor operational performance to ensure the service remains commercially viable and financially sustainable.

 Essential Experience

• Senior operational leadership experience
• Systems and process expertise
• Financial oversight
• Experience in working in a small to medium size organisation
• Experience in using and embracing CRM and CMS systems
• KPI design and performance management
• Experience in regulated environments

 Essential Skills

• Strong accountability mindset
• High emotional intelligence
• Constructive performance management
• Data-driven decision-making
• Excellent organisational capability
• Calm and confident leadership

 Desirable

• Experience within People service industry
• Understanding of Legal Aid processes
• CMS fully embedded and driving workflow
• CST Manager accountable and confident
• KPIs visible and actively managed
• Efficient case flow with minimal delay
• Accurate and timely Legal Aid submissions
• Low complaint levels
• CEO free from operational firefighting
  
  About our client
  
  Children 1st Mediation delivers high-quality family mediation including financial, children, and child-inclusive mediation. We are committed to professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication and empathy (PRIDE) in everything we do. Our work supports families to move forward constructively, with children at the centre of decision-making.